COLLECTION MAINTENANCE
A well maintained collection is the key to a high-functioning library. Patrons want and need to quickly find the titles they seek. It sounds simple, but library professionals know that providing an accurate and up-to-date inventory is a complicated process. Knowing what titles to add and when, and what titles to weed and when are equally important. These decisions need to be made based on data, not just instincts. Leveraging professional collection experts and proprietary technology dramatically reduces the time and cost traditionally spent on inventory and weeding. The result? A fresh and attractive collection not crowded by items that are out-of-date, damaged and/or don’t circulate, as well as a complete and accurate inventory of the entire collection.
Physical Inventory and Weeding
Collections maintenance professionals – alone or in collaboration with library staff – simultaneously create a physical inventory of every item while identifying and physically weeding underperforming, out-of-date, damaged and worn materials. Library staff review and approve all materials to be weeded. Upon completion, a comprehensive report details the total number of items in the collection by collection code and total items weeded.
Disposal of Weeded Material
All de-selected materials are boxed, marked and discarded in accordance with ethical and environmental standards and alignment with library staff direction.
Removal of Catalog Records for Weeded Materials
Bibliographic and item records for discarded titles will be removed from the catalog to ensure that the catalog matches inventory.
Replacement Titles
Receive a comprehensive report of titles that need to be replaced, as well as suggestions for new items that will broaden collection scope to improve circulation.